County Health Profile

These profiles contain quarterly performance data on selected indicators that have been identified as critical in county health sector strategic plans. The main objective of a county profile is to enable the CHMT to prioritize key health issues, make informed decisions, and develop plans based on an analysis of data reflected in various health indicators. The development of a county health profile involves a consultative process involving members of the CHMT and partners working with the county department of health. This process includes sensitizing the CHMT and stakeholders on the importance of the profile, forming an editorial team, developing an editorial policy, and selecting priority indicators from the county's health sector strategic plan. The profile is then developed through a data mining process, which involves collecting data from the DHIS 2 health information software and other sources, and designing a data mining template to summarize the data in an Excel spreadsheet. The county health profile is expected to provide timely reporting on all health indicators, quality data that is timely, accurate, consistent, and complete, and structured and regular updates on core performance indicators. This information is intended to inform evidence-based decisions and plans for programming. The profile complements other similar initiatives, such as the county's annual performance reviews, by providing information on progress made in various health strategic objectives and work plans. The development of county health profiles has promoted feedback and routine monitoring of service delivery data. Collaborative work to develop these profiles has also provided MEval-PIMA with the opportunity to assist in building skills within the Ministry of Health and other implementing partners on indicators, analysis, and presentation. Testimonials from health stakeholders attest to the benefits of the county profile as an accountability tool amongst stakeholders and the CHMT. The county health profile is an information product that supports the CHMT in identifying gaps in indicators or data collected, considering data quality concerns, and developing action plans to address issues identified. The profile is developed through a consultative process involving members of the CHMT and partners working with the county department of health. The expected key outputs for a county health profile are timely reporting on all health indicators, quality data that is timely, accurate, consistent, and complete, and structured and regular updates on core performance indicators that inform evidence-based decisions and plans for programming. MEASURE Evaluation-PIMA is implemented by the Carolina Population Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, in partnership with ICF International; Management Sciences for Health; Palladium; and Tulane University. The development of county health profiles is one of MEval-PIMA's strategies to strengthen the capacity of CHMTs to identify and use data for decision making.